Bearing



May 8, 1945, l. YEOMANS BEARING Filed July 24, 1940 2 Sheet-Sheet l J R v mm o w W. i A ,I

ay 1945- l. YEOMANS 2,375,269

BEARING Filed July 24,-1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.

INVENTOR. LUCIEN I. YEOMANS ATTORNEYS.

Patented BEARMG Lucien lhYeomans, Chicago, lilL, asslgnor to E. ,Bliss Company, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation oi Delaware Application July 24,

7 Claims.

This invention relates to bearingsand means for lubricating the same and is particularly directed to the provision of a. constant oil film in bearings operated under such loads and speeds that there is a marked tendency for the oil' film to break down under ordinary operating conditions.

In bearing lubrication it is essential that there be no metal to metal contact between the parts and that a narrow wedge of lubricant, usually all, be continually supplied at the point of maximum pressure between the parts to insure that ;he bearings there will be a point of'maximum :learance between the parts 180 opposite the Joint of least separation; resulting in the provi- :ion oi an annular tapered wedge space on each side of the point of least separation Under ideal lubricating conditions" lubricant is :ed into the wedge at a wide part thereof behind ;he point of least separation to provide a film,

:ushion between the parts at the said "point. If ;he film breaks down for any appreciable time here is hearing failure. r

The general object of .my invention'has been provide means for lubricating a hearing such hat film breakdown will not occur and the 'equisite amount of lubricant will be continually. applied to the hearing. A further object of he invention has been to provide means for re-- moving excess lubricant after the oil has passed he point of least separation. Still another 010- ect of the invention has been to adapt my lu-.

u'icating means to bearings which are reversed inually rotate in one direction.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and n direction of rotation and to those which conelated ends, said invention, the'n,- consists of the neans hereinafter'fully described and particuarly pointedout in the claims; the annexed lrawings and thefollowin g description-setting orth in detail certain structure embodyin'glthe nvention, such disclosed structure constituting; iowever, but oneot various forms in .which the rln'ciple'oi the invention may b u In said annexed drawingsm. 1- is adiagtammatlc showing or a new) 1940, semi No. mt

(on. sea-122) and lubricating means therefor in accordance v with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a graphical representation showing the operating characteristics of a journal rotat- .5 inginamember;

Fig. 3 is a graphical representation of my in vention embodying a bearing rotating continually in the samedirection; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the la lubrication of a bearing adapted for reversal in rotation. I I i Referring first to Fig. 2, there is illustrated an annular bearing surface between journal'and bearing indicated by the. circle it. It assumed m that the bearing is so mounted that the line of load force will be along line AA and that the Journal is urged upwardly against-the bear ing'in the direction indicated by the line A-A;

The direction of journal rotation is clockwise.

A; bearing mounted as indicated above will, depending upon the speed and load, have a point of least separation of the bearing surfaces, which is the point most critical in lubrication; It will -lie between and 80? ahead of the line oigg iorce, in the direction of journal rotation, as

indicated by the. sector bounded by the lines o-n andO-C. Similarly, the point of inanimum oil film; pressure as determined by the wedge shaped opening between the Journal and hearing will vary from the point coinciding with the line of 'force to a point 45 ahead of the same, as indicated by the lines 0-D and 0-H.

The point of minimum oil film pressure under the above conditions varies from approximately 125 to 190 in the direction of rotation as indi cated by the line O--G and 0-H; respectively. It will'be apparent that if the line O-B representsthe point 01- least separation between the bearing surfaces the point of maximum separa-' tion will lie-opposite to or 180 therefrom.

"The-bearing characteristics set out above are as indicated, and the variations are due to the speed and load imposed-upon the These variationsin a given bearing require the use of average conditions as a ground for design. I have worked out g'satisi'actory compromise inthe factors of bearing lubrication, dependingupon whether the bearing is tobe'mounted for a rotation in. one. direction 'oris to subject to a reversal of rotation;

in Fig. 3. Here the line 0-3 or least separation will always lie on-the same side 01. and in advance A hearing adapted to t. continuouslyrotated in one direction is diagrammmtically illustratedof the line of force A-A. Under-these .oondi-h.

tions it has been round-that it lubricant is ad force.

separation and at'approximately the line -3 45 degrees behind the line A-A, as indicatedin ciency will be attained under all conditions. Similarly, it has been found that if the oil, having Pas ed beyond the point 0-13 and entering into the wedge established ahead of that point is removed from between the surfaces approximately "150 degrees ahead of the line A-A, as indicated,

the, best compromise for a removal point for lubri- I Fig. 3, the maximum average lubrication emv aavaaes mitted to the wedge space behind the line of least 45 positively driven by a reversible electricmotor 45 from a suitable power source.

The bearing lubricating system is controlled from the same panel which is used to operate the mill drive motor. This includes a push button station indicated at 50 in Fig. l,' which is provided with forward, stop and reverse buttons. Controlled from the panel is adouble throw contactor switch 52 provided with a pair of contact I the motor 46. The system is so arranged that the removal of lubricant to the'bearingare shown alternately used for one or the other purpose, depending upon the direction of rotation. These two points areeach 140 degrees on either side of the line A-A, representing the line of bearing When the journal is rotated in a clock-'- wise direction oil is admitted at the left-hand point and carries up and around the decreasing wedge to and beyond the point of least bearing separation. Thereafter it continues to the righthand oil port where it is largely removed from the hearing. The points of admittance and removal of oilare reversed when the bearing direction of rotation is reversed.

' A reversing bearing must, as stated above, be so arranged that oil can alternately be supplied to the bearing at one side of the line of force arrow i-and removed from the other. depending upon the direction of rotation; Mechanism by which this can be attained is shown in Fig. 1. Referring now to that figure, I have shown a bearing IS, in

this case the chuck for an upper backing roll in a four-high rolling mill. Rotatably mounted within a central bore of the chuck is the journal l1.

- Under the above conditions the line or bearing the housing It. In many cases the recesses as .such would not be present and the lubricant would be fed directly to the space defined by the clearance between the parts. Two of the said recesses are provided. each lying-approximately 140 degrees on either side oi the line O-A. The connections It on each side of the bearing axis connect with piping 2| and 22 respectively, which pipes in turn communicate with a four-way valve 25 as shown. The remaining opposite ports'in the valve communicate with a low pressure oil supp y 21 and a lead 26 to a vacuum pump respectively. A valve member 28 is rotatably mounted within the casing and provided with a pair of pa sages 29 and 30 as shown. By means of these passages it is possible to alternately connect one of the pipes II or 22 to apply all under pressure contact 54 drives the motor to position the parts for rotation of the journal in the direction of the arrow, Fig. l, and the contact member 55 controls the operation of the motor in a reversed direction. The control disk is provided with a pair of arms 56 and 51 which engage the end of a rocking arm of the switch 52 to rock the same for alternate engagement with the members 54 or 55.

Assuming that the direction ofrotation of the mill is such that the journal [1. rotates in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 1) the timer and the switch contacts will be positioned as indicated in Fig. 1. If the stop button of the panel is pushed to stop the mill there will be no actuation of the control motor and its associated mechanism. However, if the reverse button is pressed the control motor is immediately started in a reverse direction from the preceding motion and the disk 40 rotates until the contact 51, spaced of rotation of the mill desired, a button will e pushed to actuate one of the solenoids 60, closto the bearing and the other pipe to the vacuum mounted to rotate with the crank it on its axis- 2. To drive the mechanism the disk isin the form or a worm gear which is engaged by a worm ,l from the preceding active contact 56, moves around to rock, the switch arm from the position of Fig. 1 to a position in contact with the other contact member 55. At this time the connection to the motor will be broken and-the parts controlled through the link 34 will have been shifted to a position opposite to that of Fig. l, establishing the mill for rotation in a reversed direction.

The circuits established and broken through the contacts 54 and 65 are in the first instance initially set up by pushing the proper button on the panel 50. Thus, depending on the direction ing a corresponding contactor 62 to establish a circuit to the motor 46. It follows that only that solenoid electrically connected through the switch 52 and one of its contacts at the time the button is pressed can be energized to close the corresponding contactor switch 62.

Thus if a button is pushed which does not effect a reversal of the mill the solenoid indicated will not be actuated because the corresponding contact 54 or will not complete 'a circuit to the lished to the motor, accomplishing the desired result.

Upon reversal of direction of rotation the pip-- ing 22; through which oil has been supplied to the bearing, is now employed to withdraw lubricant therefrom, and the piping 2i supplies lubricant to the bearing instead of serving as a means for its removal. Thus, at the time of reversal of journal rotation the lubricating system is automatically reestablished to comply with the new operating conditions. At the end of a half revolution of the disk-l0 the contact members on the disk open the switch '52 which breaks the control motor circuit and stops the motor and the control disk. This leaves the tour-way valve set as above indicated to supply and withdraw 011 from the bearing during rotation in a direction opposite to that of the'arrow in Fig. 4. When the button involving roll reversal is pressed the process is reversed because the direction of motor rotation is reversed until after a half revolution when it is opened by the contact member 54.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided a new and improved manner for lubricating bearings when the same are mounted either for rotation in the same direction at all times or for'reversal.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the structure. herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In a bearing with a journal and a housing adapted to be rotated relative to each other in sliding friction contact, means to apply lubricant under pressure to said bearing at a point at a point ahead of the said line of least separation in the direction of rotation.

2. A bearing comprising a housing and a journal rotatably carried therein and adapted for reversal in direction of rotation such that a load carried by said journal is transmitted to said housing along a line of load application with the point of least separation between journal and housing lying alternately on one vor the other sides of said line depending on the direction of rotation and means to apply lubricant to said bearing behind the line of least separation and remove lubricant from said bearing ahead of the line of least separation irrespective of the direction of bearing rotation.

3. In a bearing with a journal and a housing adapted to be rotated relative to eachother in sliding friction contact, with a load acting vertically upward, means to apply lubricant under pressure to said bearing at a point approximately 45 degrees behind the line of force.

4. In a bearing with a journal and a housing adapted to be rotated relative to each other in sliding friction contact, with a load acting vertically upward, means to withdraw lubricant from said bearing under vacuum at'a point approximately 150 degrees ahead of the line of force 5. In a bearing with a journal and a housing adapted to be rotated relative to each other in sliding friction contact, with a load acting vertically upward, means to apply lubricant under pressure to said bearing at a point approximately 45 degrees behind the line of force, and means to withdraw lubricant from said bearing under vacuum at a point approximately 150 degrees ahead of the line of force.

6. In a bearing comprising a housing and a journal rotatably carried therein and adapted for reversal in direction of rotation such that -a load carried by said journal and acting in vertically upward direction is transmitted to said housing along a line of load application with the point of least separation between journal and housing lying alternately on one or the other sides of said line depending on the direction of rotation, means to apply lubricant through the housing wall at a point approximately 140 degrees from and behind the line of load irrespective of the direction of bearing rotation.

'7. In a bearing comprising. a housing and a journal rotatably carried therein and adapted for reversal in direction of rotation such that a load carried by said journal and acting in vertically upward direction is transmitted to said housing along a line of load application with the point of least separation between journal and housing lying alternately on one or the other sides of said line depending on the direction of rotation, means to apply lubricant through the housing wall at a point approximately 140 degrees from andbehlnd the line of load, and means to withdraw lubricant from said bearing at a point approximately 140 degrees from and ahead of 5 the line of load irrespective of the direction of bearing rotation.

LUCIEN I. YEOMANS. L 

